Daniel half stood before his attorney, a sharp man named Victor Hale, pulled him back down with a grip that carried more fear than authority.
“Sit,” Victor whispered, and the word trembled slightly despite his effort to hide it.
I opened the file in front of me with steady hands that no longer belonged to the woman they used to dismiss.
“Good morning,” I said, letting my voice settle into the room with quiet precision.
Daniel stared at me as if he were hearing my voice for the first time in his life.
“This is insane,” Lillian said too loudly, her voice cracking under pressure she did not understand.
The bailiff turned toward her with a look that promised consequences if she continued.
Margaret forced a brittle smile and said, “There must be some mistake because that woman is my son’s wife.”
I let a breath pass before answering, allowing the silence to deepen around them.
“Yes,” I said, “that woman is his wife, for the moment.”
A ripple moved through the room as confusion sharpened into awareness.
I nodded to the clerk and said, “Please read the consolidation order into the record.”